


In Frost's Embrace

by ZeoNyph



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Cold, Contest Entry, Death, tragic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:28:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27471247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeoNyph/pseuds/ZeoNyph
Summary: When everything went south, sometimes there never is a ray of hope to guide you through.
Relationships: AJ | Alvin Jr. & Clementine (Walking Dead), Clementine & Jane (Walking Dead: No Going Back), Clementine & Kenny (Walking Dead)
Kudos: 7





	In Frost's Embrace

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Tragedy fanfic contest on r/TWDGFanfic.

Clementine trudged along the snow, her body shivering with each step as the wind furiously flew by, with AJ held close to her.

It was hard to believe how quickly everything went to shit from the moment they were held at gunpoint by the Russian group. Rebecca died of blood loss and AJ almost got killed by her reanimated corpse if it weren’t for the fact that she saw what had happened. When the gunfire erupted, the bullets whizzing by her as she ran for the nearest cover with AJ in tow, Sarah was caught in the crossfire.

She had saved her twice, the first time when the walkers were breaking into the trailer, slapping her out of her stupor and getting her out, and then she saved her again by grabbing her away from the balcony as it crumbled down. _ But everyone’s fate catches up to them somehow _ , Clementine realized bitterly,  _ and there’s no point in trying when they’ll die anyway. _

Then, it seemed as though there was hope when Jane came back, and when Arvo told them about the house they had, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

And look where she was now, trapped in a blizzard with no way out, with nothing but a newborn child in her arms.

She tried, tried so damn hard to save Luke when he fell into the ice, but all she could do was take one last look at him as he sank into the deep abyss, the freezing cold reaching her bones, and not even get to say goodbye.

She knew that there was no point in interfering with Kenny as he pummeled Arvo, and watched as Mike stopped him. The mood was tense, like a rubber band that kept stretching and stretching, until it snapped, and she found herself with a bullet going through her shoulder as she watched Mike leave with Bonnie and Arvo, and with Kenny chasing them.

When they crashed, and when her and Jane were split up, she wandered for what felt like hours, shooting every walker she saw, arms bundled together in a desperate attempt to keep the heat from leaving her.

There was a small flicker of hope inside her when she came across Kenny again in the rest stop, and she was happy to know that there might be a chance for them to live, only for all of it to sputter and die when Jane came in… without AJ.

She’d found him later, but by then the damage was done.

The two of them had raging fires within, and the cold had done nothing to douse them, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t tell them that you never fight fire with fire, lest you create an inferno. And then she found herself, gun in hand, forced to choose between two of her most trusted allies, and let the other one die.

But someone else made the choice for her.

She watched as a bullet went through Kenny’s head, his face still contorted with rage as his body slumped to the floor lifelessly, the blood covering Jane. 

They thought they were safe from Howe’s Hardware, but she knew at that point that fate always had a way of catching up.

She stood up, hands raising upwards as she quickly pocketed the gun; it would be hard to see in the blizzard, as Tavia came towards them, pistol in one hand, and a crying AJ in the other. The first feeling she had was shock at Kenny’s death, at how sudden it was, then betrayal when she saw a still living AJ when Jane said that wasn’t the case.  _ Why?,  _ was the only question that came to mind.

“That was for Bill, you piece of shit.” she shouted, spitting on Kenny’s corpse, before looking at Jane. “Now unless you and the kids wanna die, I suggest you come with us.”

“Not like we’ve got much choice.” 

“You too, kid. Don’t make me repeat myself.” Tavia said, aiming at Clementine with her rifle and motioning for her to follow, and with no other option she did so, with Jane behind.

“I can’t believe you did that, Jane. You told me that he was gone.” she whispered furiously at Jane, who had an expression of guilt on her face.

“I...I just wanted to show you that he was dangerous, Clem. He could have gotten you killed later down the line.”

“Not so ‘dangerous’ now, is he? No thanks to you.” she replied bitterly, looking at Kenny’s body one last time as it vanished in the blizzard.

Jane didn’t reply, instead looking down as she wordlessly followed Tavia.

“Y’all don’t seem to know how to take care of newborns now, do you?” Tavia said, gloatfully. “Keeping ‘em in an exposed car ain’t gonna save them from the cold.”

Nothing was said in reply; only the howling blizzard and the crunch of snow was heard.

Tavia’s back was turned, and as she grabbed the walkie-talkie, she knew that it was the perfect moment to strike.

“Vince, this is Tavia. Do you read me?”

Static.

“I found Jane, the girl, and Bill’s kid. Making my way over, do you re- AARGH!”

In the midst of talking, Clementine slowly took out the pistol, the howling wind helping hide the rustling of her jacket and the stretch of her waistband, as a wide-eyed Jane watched. She fired, hitting Tavia’s waist, making sure not to shoot anywhere where she was holding AJ.

She quickly pulled the trigger, only to be met with a  _ click _ .

“Forgot to check for ammo, huh?” she shouted, wincing in pain as the blood started to seep through her jacket. “Guess you ain’t gonna be that lucky when I shoot you through the eye, you goddamn-”

She never got to finish her sentence, for Jane quickly rushed in and kicked Tavia’s shin before she could react, making her kneel rapidly, before quickly grabbing AJ from her hands, sending her stumbling to the floor, clutching her waist wound in pain.

Running towards Clementine, she hastily gives AJ to her, before unholstering the knife Kenny tried to kill her with, having the same idea as her in quickly hiding their weapons.

“Jane…”

“No, Clem. You gotta go. Take AJ and run. Don’t come back for me, you got that?”

“But…”

“No buts, Clem. Please, just go. Run!” she replied, a single tear flowing out of both their eyes.

There was nothing she could have done to help, so she nodded, and turned to run as fast as the snow could allow her to while Jane turned towards Tavia, knife in hand.

“Do me a favor, will ya? Tell Troy I sent my regards!” she shouted before running at Tavia, determined not to let her go. 

Clementine didn’t know what had happened between the two while she ran, but all she heard afterwards was a single gunshot, cracking across the endless snow. She didn’t dare go back, or even look in the direction the shot came from. She had to keep moving forward. 

And that was how she found herself in an endless abyss of cold snow, biting hard against her skin as each step she took became weaker and weaker, almost like the wind was pushing her back. She felt tired, struggling to even hold AJ in her hands because they kept shivering. The world was spinning and there was no end in sight

AJ’s crying was becoming quieter and quieter, like his life was seeping out of him bit by bit.

Her knees gave out, and she quickly stumbled onto her knees, letting out a small cry, and she fell onto the snow. It didn’t feel cold anymore, only comfort was felt as she lay in a fetal position, AJ silently curled up in her arms.

Her eyes were starting to close.

_ It’s only a minute. I’m just tired, ‘s all. No issues here. Absolutely nothing wrong. _

When she closed her eyes, AJ and her finally reached Frost’s embrace, encasing them from the horrors of the world she once lived in, and the world he was born into.


End file.
